Strontium-90
Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District
Strontium is a metal that accumulates in the bones. Radioactive strontium-90 can cause bone cancer and leukemia, and any form of strontium at high doses can harm bone health. Read More.
Strontium-90 has been emitted widely by nuclear power plants, weapons facilities, waste sites and nuclear research facilities. Strontium-90 is structurally similar to calcium and is thus taken up into bones. The chief health concerns from strontium-90 exposure are bone cancer and leukemia.
No federal drinking water standards for strontium-90 exist. California set a legal maximum of 8 picocuries of strontium-90 radioactivity per liter of water. California also has a public health goal of no more than 0.35 picocuries of strontium-90 per liter of drinking water. According to studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, strontium-90 also is a concern for water quality in private wells.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
2014 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
2015 | 0.04 pCi/L | 1 | 1 | 0.04 pCi/L |
2016 | ND | 2 | 0 | ND |
2017 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
2018 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
2019 | 0.57 pCi/L | 11 | 11 | 0.07 pCi/L - 2.00 pCi/L |
pCi/L = picocuries per liter
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.35 pCi/L
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.35 pCi/L for strontium-90 was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against cancer.
pCi/L = picocuries per liter
All test results
Date | Lab ID | Result |
---|---|---|
2015-05-07 | 5867-038-1350 | 0.04 pCi/L |
2016-02-03 | 5867-049-1315 | ND |
2016-02-03 | 5867-050-1130 | ND |
2019-01-09 | 5867-012-1350 | 0.07 pCi/L |
2019-06-20 | 5867-031-1112 | 0.50 pCi/L |
2019-06-25 | 5867-021-1245 | 1.05 pCi/L |
2019-06-25 | 5867-022-1148 | 0.21 pCi/L |
2019-06-25 | 5867-049-1200 | 1.05 pCi/L |
2019-06-25 | 5867-050-1230 | 2.00 pCi/L |
2019-08-20 | 5867-049-1055 | 0.26 pCi/L |
2019-08-20 | 5867-050-1022 | 0.42 pCi/L |
2019-10-10 | 5867-002-0930 | 0.16 pCi/L |
2019-12-18 | 5867-049-1120 | 0.44 pCi/L |
2019-12-18 | 5867-050-1145 | 0.11 pCi/L |